WYE MILLS  The average 10-year-old may not be ready for college, but Chesapeake College now has an interactive, fun summer program designed especially for children.

The Kids on Campus program, scheduled for June 18 through August 10, offers a variety of sessions designed for elementary and middle school children.

´We know that parents are interested in keeping their children both entertained and intellectually stimulated during the summer, so we´ve come up with an enrichment program that´s academic and fun," said Jane Thomas, who coordinates the program in the Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Training.

Organizers developed the program based on popular offerings at other Maryland community colleges. They also consulted with potential instructors to help design the course offerings. Many of the state´s community colleges report that their children´s programs have grown significantly in recent years.

"Chesapeake College is a community learning center and we wanted to expand our programming to include the younger residents of our service area," said Elaine Wilson, director of continuing education and workforce training. "We successfully launched a program for homeschooled children this year, and we felt ready to have a large summer program."

Wilson explained that while Chesapeake had a summer program years ago aimed at gifted and talented students, this new program is open to a broader range of students.

The courses are divided into sections for children ages 7 to 10, and those who are 11 to 14. Course topics include arts/crafts, poetry, computer skills, pottery, Spanish, karate, interpretive dance, cooking, math games, and ecological/wildlife studies.

Fees range from $85 to $130 per week, depending on the program. The "Fantastic Feathers" session, featuring life owls and hawks, is offered on Wednesdays during the last 3 weeks, for a $20 course fee. Each program session is a half-day, with two sessions per day scheduled for each age group. Participants may choose to participate in one or two sessions per day.

In addition to the program sessions, Chesapeake is offering before morning and afternoon care with the "Kids Club". The morning session will run from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and the afternoon session is from 4 to 5:30. The sessions are $25 per week each. The "Kids Club" time blocks can be booked individually or as a package. A special combination rate of $40 per week will cover the cost of morning and afternoon "Kids Combo Club" care.

For more information, please call 410-827-5400, ext. 300 or e-mail kids@chesapeake.edu. To review the course listings, please visit the web site at http:// www.chesapeake.edu/continuing_ed.